Vermont woman accused of biting 12-day-old baby in Lebanon

HAVERHILL — A 25-year-old White River Junction, Vt., woman is accused of biting a 12-day-old baby in the head and/or face on Jan. 20 in Lebanon, causing the infant bodily injury.

A Grafton County Superior Court grand jury has indicted Sarah Haines, 25, on a charge of second-degree assault.

Lebanon Police Deputy Chief Phil Roberts said Friday the biting occurred while Haines and the baby were at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center.

Asked about the circumstances of the alleged attack or the reason, Roberts replied, “We never really got a strong answer. It could be drugs or it could be mental health.”

The grand jury during its March session also indicted Haines on a charge of possession of a narcotic/controlled substance, buprenorphine, on the same date in Lebanon.

“That’s used a lot to kick opiate addiction,” Roberts said of the drug.

Regarding the condition and custody of the child, who is identified in court records only by initials, Roberts said the Vermont Department for Children and Families was involved in the case.

Lebanon police arrested Haines Jan. 20 and she was being held at the time on $20,000 cash bail at the Grafton County jail in North Haverhill.

A spokesman at the jail said Friday Haines was released on Jan. 29.

Second-degree assault is a Class B felony. The possession of a narcotic/controlled drug charge against Haines is listed as a “special felony” with the potential for a penalty greater than a Class A felony term of 7½ to 15 years in prison.

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